Vapor-electric device



Oct. 7, 1947. H, A,- R SE 4 2,428,587

VAPOR-ELECTRIC DEVICE Filgd July 20, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR 17 Herberf/Z Ease. 'll'llll'l'll'l.

I z i /0 BY 2, a I .1. KW

ATTORNEY Oct 7', 1947- H.'A. ROSE: 2,428,587

VAPOR-ELECTRIC DEVICE I 5 Filed July 20, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES: INVENTOR 247% b erberf/zl af 4 YIlfW' ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 7, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VAPOR-ELECTRIC! DEVICE Herbert A. Rose, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa, a corporation of'Pennsy-lvania Application July 20, 1943, Serial No. 495,405

Claims. (-61. 2505-275) My invention relates to a vapor electric device and, particularly, to an improved method of cooling the cathodes of such devices.

In the operation of vapor-electric devices, such as mercury arc rectifiers, a great deal of heat is evolved at the cathodes of the devices. In order to maintain proper operating conditions in the devices, it is necessary to remove the heat so generated. Heretofore' this has been accomplished by providing cooling elements integral with the devices themselves either in the form of cooling coils immersed in the cathode material or cooling elements attached to the exterior of the cathode container. The provision of such cooling device is not only inherently expensive but provides further elements of danger to the tubes in that the inclusion of interval cooling coils greatly adds to the danger of leakage in the tube, and the exterior coils unless constructed of expensive materials not only add to the cost of construction of the tube and increase the danger of leakage, but are liable to be cloggedby scale or impurities in the water and thus render the tube inoperative before the tube'would' otherwise reach the end of its useful life.

According to my invention, I provide the cooling element in the cathode bus or other cathodeconnection and provide a cathode terminal in good heat and electrical connection with the container of the cathode and couple the cathode terminal in good thermal and electrical conducting relation with the cathode bus so that by cooling the cathode bus or the cathode connection, the heat may be withdrawn from the oathode of the device. to provide a relatively inexpensive tube which may be coupled to a cooling element which of itself may be relatively inexpensive because it is possible to clean and recondition the cooling element without in any manner disturbing the construction of the tube itself.

In usual rectifier arrangements the cathode of a plurality of valves are connected to a common cathode bus, and by making this cathode bus either in the form of a cooling element or providing cooling elements attached to the bus, it is possible to greatly reduce the overall expense of the installation while providing satisfactory cooling.

In this manner it is possible It; is, accordingly, an object of my invention to provide a cooling system for a plurality of tubes without the necessity of self-contained cathode coolers.

It is. a further object of my invention to provide a common cooling element for a plurality of cathodes.

It is a further object of my invention to provide an arc discharge device having a separable cathode cooler,

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is an elevation partly in section of a portion of a converter according to my invention;

Fig; 2 is a cross section along line IIII of Fig; 1 through a cathode cooler showing the connection of a valve thereto and the manner of cooling the side walls of the device; and

Fig. .3 is aview similar to Fig. 2 showing a modified connection; and i Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig, 2 showing a cross-section through a preferred construction according tomy invention.

In the exemplary embodiment of my invention according to Fig. 1, a cathode bus ill is constructed in the form of a cooling element such as a water .box through which passes the coolingfiuid' for the cathodes iii of a plurality of vapor-electric valves II. Each of the valves H of the device comprises an evacuated container lZhaving a pool l3 of vaporizable reconstructing cathode material such as mercury. Cooperating with the cathode i3 is an anode M maintained in spaced insulated relation thereto, and at least one and preferably a plurality of exciting electrodes [5 which may or may not be of similar construction. In order to remove the heat generated at the cathode l3, the cathode i3 is provided with a terminal block it preferably brazed or welded in good electrical and heat conducting contact with the cathode container.

In order to connect the cathode terminal [6 to the cathode bus ID, a connection is provided on the-"bus l0 preferably in the form of an upstanding bl'ock ll secured to the bus It] in good electrical" and heat conducting relation preferably by means of welding, brazing, or by mechanical connection thereto. The cathode terminal I6 is placed in contact with the contact block I! and secured thereto preferably by means of a mechanical connection such as a threaded nut l8.

Because of the machining irregularities which are always present both on the contact block I! and on the cathode terminal [6, it is frequently desirable to use some means such as a sheet of metal foil or a coat of heat conducting paint between the cathode terminal I6 and the cathode block I! in order to facilitate the transfer of heat from the cathode l3 to the common cooling means It].

It is frequently desirable to cause a rapid flow of the cooling medium at or adjacent the connecting block IT, as a rapidly flowing cooling medium transfers the heat with less thermal drop 4 odes of said devices and said bus and means-for cooling said bus. 7

2. An electric conversion system comprising a plurality of arc discharge devices, each of said discharge devices including an envelope containing a pool of cathode material, an anode cooperating with the cathode, and means for excitin the cathode, a cathode terminal for each of said devices, said terminal being connected in good electrical and heat conducting relation to the cathode, a bus forming a common cathode connection to all of said devices, means for securing tainer, a pool type cathode in said container, a

at the liquid cooled surface. For this reason I prefer to provide a bafile or obstruction in the cooling element H) such that it will produce 'a rapid flow of cooling fluid such as water adjacent the point of connection of the connectingblock l1.

It is.usually desirable to liquid cool the side walls of the container l2, and for this purpose I have shown a water jacket 2| providing a spiral channel 22 around the exterior of the container Wall 12. I

Cooling fluid is circulated through this water jacket 2| from a header 23 as shown or if desired from the bus box I!) and discharged to a header 24 where the water may either be discharged or recirculated as conditions may require.

In the operation of the system according to my terminal block connected to said container in good thermal conducting relation to said cathode, a, cathode connector detachably connected in good thermal conducting relation to said terminal block and means for cooling said connector for a cooling fluid through said cooling element.

invention, a cooling fluid is circulated through terminal, a cooling element applied to said conthe cathode bus l0 and cools the connecting block I! which, in turn, withdraws heat through the cathode terminal I6 to maintain the desired temperature of cathode I3. I

In high current device where large quantities of heat must be removed from the cathode l3, the cathode plate 25 may be placed directly in contact with the cooled bus in and secured in intimate contact therewith by a plurality of fasteners 26 as shown in Fig. 3.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Fig. 4, a cathode bus 36 is supported on a member 3|, such as an angle or channel iron which may be mounted on insulators 35, and a cooling element 34 is provided in the connecting blocks a l I! thereof instead of being applied to the bus in general. Preferably the header 32 for the cooling medium is mounted within or adjacent the bus support 3| and connections 33 are taken on of the header 32 to the cooling coil 34 in each of the cooling blocks II! and from the cooling 7 blocks ll! passed on in series relation to the water jacket 2! of the container l2. In this modification I have shown instead of a connecting nut.

l8 a plurality of screws 38 extending through the bus 30, the connecting block Ill, and into the cathode terminal H6 for drawing the parts into good heat and electrical conducting relation.

While for purposes of illustration I have shown and described specific embodiments of my invention, it will be apparent that changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the true spirit of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A cooling system for arc discharge devices comprising a cathode bus, means for mounting a plurality of arc discharge devices on said bus, a cathode for each of said devices, means for securing good thermal contact between the catha a plurality of vapor-electric devices comprising a 5. A vapor-electric device comprising a container, a pool type cathode in said container, a terminal block connected to said container in good thermal conductivity to said cathode, a cathode connector detachably connected to said nector, a cooling jacket applied to said container and means for passing cooling fluid through said cooling element and said cooling jacket in series.

6. A cathode cooling system for the cathode of cathode terminal on each of said devices, said terminal being in good heat conducting relation to its cathode, a cathode bus, means for detachably connecting said cathode terminal in good heat conducting relation 'to said bus and means cathode, a common cathode bus including con-' necting blocks on said bus, means for securing said cathode terminals to said connecting blocks i in gOOd. thermal conducting. relation and means for cooling said blocks.

8. An electric current conversion system com;

prising a plurality of vapor-electric valves, a

liquid cathode in each of said valves, a cathode terminal in good heat conducting relation to said elements associated with said blocks andmeans" for transmitting cooling fluid through said cooling elements.

I 9. An electric converter comprising a plurality of electric valves, each of said valves having an internal electrode tobe cooled, an external block cooperating thermally with said internal electrode said block being connected in good thermal contact with a fluid cooled bus.

10. 'An electric valve containing a liquid elec-' i 5 trode, said liquid being in thermal contact with UNITED STATES PATENTS the base of said valve, a. fluid cooled member in Number Name Date thermal Contact Said base fOr rBmOViIIg heat 1 u e from Said Said C001ed member fOrm- Forest t. 7 ing an electrical terminal and SHDPOIt f0]: said 5 2 45 Lindenbla 30 93 Valve- 7 22541722 Aoki Sept. 2, 1941 HERBERT ROSE- 2,015,537 Silverman Sept. 24, 1935 2,069,283 Slepian Feb. 2, 1937 REFERENCES CITED 2,342,412 Little Feb. 22, 1944 The following references are of record in the 10 1,118,380 Story Nov. 24, 1914 file'of this patent: 2256,75? Durand Sept. 23, 1941 

